Believe
by Dixiehnsnluver
Summary: Based on the movie and on JM Barrie's novel. Harper learns to believe in Peter Pan and Fairies though those around her discourage it. Chapter 5 edited and reloaded!
1. Prologue

Prologue

_"Don't go Peter," she entreated, "I know such lots of stories." Those were her precise words, so there can be no denying that it was she who first tempted him..._

_From Peter Pan, JM Barrie.___

"'_You have your orders lads. We must shoot the Wendy-bird down' Slightly said with a final nod. The Lost Boys all raised their bows, fitted their arrows and prepared to shoot. '__3 …2…1!' The arrows whisked away, one straight through the target Tink had drawn in the sky. They watched an arrow hit its mark. The Wendy-bird fell to the ground. Together, they ran to collect it thinking perhaps Peter would like to see the greatness of the shot that felled the great bird. Shock and confusion clouded their faces as they came to the clearing where the Wendy-bird lay. 'That's a lady…' One of them finally uttered. It was then that Peter came flying into the clearing….Okay, that's all for tonight. Get yourselves into bed now." Harper ignored the groans of her siblings as she closed the book. "Now come on. If you don't get into bed soon, tomorrow night's story will be much shorter." With that, all three of them jumped into their beds. She walked over to her youngest brother's bed._

            "Good night, Curly." She said ruffling his hair that had earned him that nickname. She handed each of the twins their bears then turned out the large light. The nightlight came to life in a corner, and a series of faerie shaped shadows darted around the walls. It seemed a small voice echoed _"Can anything harm us, after the nightlights are lit?" but Harper ignored it and went about straightening up the last of the toys, knowing the voice to simply be an echo left from her great-grandfather's book. Often times the stories filled her mind and left her picturing Neverland, and its one-time inhabitants. With one last glance around the boys' room, she left and started to her room. _

            However, her curiosity was to be captured when as she happened by the staircase, she overheard her mother and father arguing over something. 

            "I'm not going to take the children over there. He's crazy... He believes everything your great-grandfather told him!" Her father yelled. Harper knew who he was referring too. For all of her 16 years she had heard the stories of her grandfather and his total belief that his father had been a Lost Boy. She herself had been drawn into her great-grandfather's tales of adventure as a child. How could one not? Tales of flying and of Wendy and of course, the great Peter Pan... Everything was one great adventure! She had wished so desperately that her great grandfather had lived long enough to tell her all about Peter Pan.

            Now, of course, she was too old to believe in fairy tales of the sort. Now they were just fun stories she would read to her two brothers while imagining her great-grandfather sitting at the desk she now owned penning them down in his loose and somewhat sloppy cursive. Sometimes, if it was late or if she was in a receptive mood as she was tonight, she would hear the echoes of the stories and imagine herself a character in the great adventures. 

            "He's dying Nathaniel! I'm not going to deprive him of seeing his grandkids one last time!" Her mother replied and came storming up the stairs. She walked right past her daughter and slammed the door to the master bedroom. Harper walked sullenly to her door. She didn't want her grandfather to die without having said goodbye but she didn't want her parents to fight either. Life was hard the older you got. 


	2. The Portrait of Slightly

Chapter 1: The Portrait of Slightly

_Nibs, the gay and debonair, followed by Slightly, who cuts whistles out of the trees and dances ecstatically to his own tunes. Slightly is the most conceited of the boys. He thinks he remembers the days before he was lost, with their manners and customs, and this has given his nose an offensive tilt._

_From Peter Pan_

            It was the next morning that the children were to come awake to sounds of their mother packing her things and their things and assorted other things in multiple suitcases. They were told to quickly dress and eat breakfast as their flight was leaving early. They ate quicker than they'd ever eaten before and then the finished packing with the same confused speed. The plane ride went with many a teary glance at their mother who seemed convinced the lack of their father was nothing to be concerned about.

            Harper herself had too much on her mind to reassure her little brothers and much of the ride was spent with her head leaning on the tiny port-window remembering all the stories. Getting off the plane was a somber occasion, not the merry excitement filled event that plane rides usually culminated in. They gathered their luggage and caught a cab to their grandfather's house. It was a magnificent house really, one fitting that of the late Lord. The slowly setting sun illuminated it in an astounding way. It was one inconsistency of the stories her grandfather had passed down of Slightly… How could anyone that had had that much adventure marry into a title and then forget all about it? She shrugged and grabbed her suitcase. The family trooped as a somber bunch up to the door of the house. Her mother's feeble knock was answered by an equally feeble old man. 

            "Father!" her mother cried and gently embraced the old man. "You should be in bed resting!" The old man gave a harsh laugh and stepped back from the hug.

            "Ever practical my dear. How are my grandkids?" Her brothers politely skirted around his questions and dutifully hugged him before being sent to their rooms. Her mother marched right up after them. Harper closed the door and then stepped to her grandfather. She held up the book of her great-grandfather's tales. 

            "H-How much of this is true?" she croaked. She had to know. She wanted desperately to believe as she had never believed in anything else to this point in her life. Her grandfather looked nostalgically at the book then wrapped a shaky arm around her shoulder. He led her into the drawing room where he pointed at a portrait of her great-grandfather.

            "Take it down" he coughed. She obliged and with little difficulty took the painting down and set it on the table. Behind it was a clichéd vault behind the portrait. Her grandfather unlocked it and pulled up a rolled up paper, two straps that looked almost like belts, a scruffy looking cap, a spyglass, and what looked to be a pirate hat and coat. Her grandfather sat down in a nearby armchair and unrolled the paper. It was multiple sketches. "This is what your great-grandfather sketched in school a month after being adopted by the Darlings." It showed a fairy and a boy clothed in leaves in one corner. Names of pirates filled another corner. A tree house stood in the center. It depicted some of the people mentioned in stories, like the crocodile and Tiger Lily. "The spyglass was Peter's last gift to his best mate. The straps were what Nana used to hold them down when they could still fly. The Pirate hat and coat were his remnants of his last great adventure with Peter; the cap being part of his daily wardrobe in the Neverland. It still smells like the trees and faerie dust there." Harper gently put the cap upon her head. She could smell the trees; see herself flying around having adventures. She smiled and then went about examining the items. Her grandfather watched with an air of happiness, though he was so weak that facial expressions were hard to come by. 

            "If this all exists, then the nursery…The Nursery! Where is it? May I see it? Is Peter still alive? Oh is he?" Her grandfather let out a cough that might have been a chuckle and then grabbed a nearby piece of paper and pen. He scratched down something, handed it to Harper and said, "Two blocks to the right, big house pinkish shutters… give this paper to the lady who will answer the door." Harper nodded. "I'll tell your mom you're doing something for me. Don't stay too long." Her grandfather smiled as she rushed out. His mission was complete. At least one of the next generation believed, and that was all it took to keep Peter Pan coming back. 


	3. Meet Jane

Chapter 3

_As you look at Wendy, you may see her hair becoming white, and her figure little again, for all this happened long ago. Jane is now a common grown-up, with a daughter called Margaret; and every spring cleaning time, except when he forgets, Peter comes for Margaret and takes her to the Neverland, where she tells him stories about himself, to which he listens eagerly. When Margaret grows up she will have a daughter, who is to be Peter's mother in turn; and thus it will go on, so long as children are gay and innocent and heartless._

_From Peter Pan_

            She ran all the way to the house that her grandfather had described. She knocked excitedly on the door and danced around waiting for it to be opened. In all of her 16 years, nothing had excited her this much. Peter Pan, real… _not imaginary. It was amazing to think of and yet somewhere, deep down, she had believed it all along. But she had to see the nursery, imagine the goings-on. An old woman answered the door._

            "Hello…" the women said staring at Harper. Harper shyly handed her the note from her grandfather, not trusting herself to speak. After all, what do you say to a complete stranger in a case like this? 'Let me in so I can see your nursery'? The lady read the note and a smile lit her wrinkled and weary face. "Oh child, do come in. I'm Jane. Welcome to number 24." Harper stepped inside.

            "Hello, I'm Harper…" she hesitated but then decided it was best to be straight forward. "May I…May I see the nursery?" Jane nodded and beckoned Harper to follow her. Jane opened the door and stood aside for Harper to enter before her. Harper gasped as she looked around. There were three beds in it, and multiple cubby holes that looked recent. Each cubby was labeled. One said Wendy and held a white frilly nightgown that was perfectly preserved. One said Michael and held a well loved teddy bear. As Harper wandered around observing each cubby Jane sat on the nearest bed. When she came to Slightly's cubby she pulled out a dusty flute made out of a twig. 

            "Slightly was the best with musical pipes next to Peter. He was Peter's second-in-command you know? He was always left in charge when Peter went off on adventures…" Jane trailed off remembering Peter and the Spring Cleaning she had gone to. Maggie, he daughter hadn't enjoyed it as much and Maggie's daughter had outright refused. Jane sighed and exited her painful memories to watch Harper flit across the room examining item after item. Harper was having the time of her life. Each item corresponded with a tale her great-grandfather had transcribed before the memory of Neverland completely left him. As a result of him being young and ill educated some parts were hard to read, but the story remained as interesting as it was the day it happened. She turned to Jane and smiled.

            "I just… It's all real. All of it. There is a place where you won't grow up or have responsibilities… Peter…Peter Pan, he exists! Fairies exist! It's magic." Harper spun around in the middle of the room holding a fake fairy wand Wendy had made as a prop to her stories. She collapsed laughing in the middle of the floor and fingered the ribbons of the wand.

            "I remember being that excited about the stories. It was right before Peter came for me…" Harper interrupted her. "You've met Peter?!"

            "Why, yes. Every generation except for yours has. You see, Peter came back for Wendy every Spring Cleaning time. Then when she was too old and I was deemed old enough I went with Peter every Spring as did my daughter when I was too old. Her daughter however refused the first time Peter came for her. I don't think peter will ever come back. The window has been barred for so long…. It's so nice to have a young face about the house…Won't you stay for dinner?" Jane asked Harper. 

            "Oh yes I should love to, but I'll have to ring my mother first." Harper answered standing up and turning to put the wand away.

            "Oh, you finish looking around in here. I'll call your mom and tell Elizabeth to set an extra place at the table." Jane walked slowly downstairs as Harper's attention turned to the window. She placed her hand upon the glass and looked out. Much had changed since Wendy stood at that same window, yet much was still the same. Harper looked up at the lock and followed what the voice in her heart told her to do. She reached up slowly and unlocked it. 


	4. Peter's Arrival

Chapter 4: Peter's Arrival

            After unlocking the window, Harper hurried down to where Jane stood in the foyer. She was on the telephone, apparently talking to Harper's grandfather. Jane laughed a little and then hung up.

            "Oh, there you are. Dinner is ready. Let's go and eat and you can tell me all about what you like to do" Jane said leading the way to the dining room. Harper took the seat next to Jane who sat at the head of the table. It looked so very lonely in the formal dining room that there were only two place settings. "I had a family that filled this table" Jane said as if reading Harper's thoughts. "They live in America now. My daughter…and my granddaughter don't much care for Peter Pan and the stories of him. They escaped at the first possible chance." Harper looked at her plate. Why would anyone want to escape such a magical world? "But enough about that, tell me about yourself dear" Harper proceeded to tell of her family, her hobbies, her storytelling. "Ahhh… you are the continued generation. A storyteller are you? Peter will love that…" Jane whispered to herself. You see, it was time for Spring cleaning and as Peter had not been back for many years, Jane expected this year was as good as any for him to come back. And if he did come back, Jane and Harper's grandfather wished for nothing more than for Harper to accompany him. Going with Peter was always an adventure, one that every person should have at least once. 

            "I love telling Peter Pan stories to my brothers. They're all so interesting…" Harper said. There was a lapse of silence and yet both were comfortable in it, each remembering Peter Pan. One remembering the stories and one remembering the adventures.

            "Would you like to hear mine?" Jane asked putting her fork down.

            "Oh, yes!" Harper said placing her napkin on the table. "Would you tell them to me? I want new ones to tell my brothers." Jane laughed and stood up. 

            "Let's go to the nursery and I'll tell you in proper fashion, in the rocking chair near the window." Jane led the way up to the nursery, Harper following closely behind. Jane lowered herself slowly into the old rocking chair and gestured for Harper to sit on the edge of Wendy's bed facing her. Harper grabbed a pillow and held it in her lap while leaning forward intently waiting for the stories to begin. "It all started one day as I was washing the bedclothes. They were very dirty and a good washing was exactly what they needed. Being foolish, I took them all down to the lagoon- where the mermaids reside. I was humming to myself and washing the second or maybe the third sheet when I heard a lovely, haunting melody from the water. I got up on my knees and bent to look down in the water and came face to face with a mermaid! She was beautiful… I'll never forget her face as long as I live. Her hand slipped out of the water and caressed my own. Her song brought images of swimming around and being beautiful to my mind. I barely noticed when she pulled me in. Luckily Peter did, or it all would have been over for me.

            He had been coming to tell me of his latest adventure involving the Redskins. Tiger Lily wanted to meet me, as she had met all the "mothers" before me. Tiger Lily was now an old woman, a crone of her tribe. She was still the bravest, and still held a special place for Peter in heart. However, Redskins age, though slower than we do here, as that is their lot in the Neverland. No longer did she need rescuing, as she was quite capable of handling any pirate on her own. Sometimes though, one of the children would wander off and Peter would help rescue it. The pirates didn't like the Redskins and vice versa. It was a constant battle…it probably still is today. But I got off track. Peter was coming to get me to meet Tiger Lily. He had just landed behind me when I was pulled off the rock.

            Immediately, he dived into the water. He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me away from the mermaid, baring his teeth and hissing as they do when angry. The mermaid hissed back but retreated back to where the rest of the mermaids were. Peter pulled me back up and as though it had never happened was describing the Redskin adventure. I will never forget him diving after me. I thought it was the most romantic gesture. It was however to Peter's mind just another short adventure. Now… what else can I tell you about? Ohh… I can tell you about the time Smee came back with a ship of his own and tried to be Hook. Peter thought it was great fun…" 

 As Jane continued her stories, Harper laughed at Peter's antics and gasped when the pirates made their appearances. The stories brought another side of Neverland out for Harper; The real and tangible side. The side in which Peter made friends and did amazing things that didn't require fighting pirates. He built houses out of twigs and helped the Redskins hunt. Neverland was full of magic and Harper wanted desperately to go and see the places both her great-grandfather and Jane described. They were so wrapped up in the telling and hearing of the stories that neither Jane nor Harper noticed it getting dark out, or the shooting star that flashed across the sky.  

Author's note: Sorry, no quote this time. Couldn't find a fitting one. I must tell you this story is writing itself. I planned Peter to enter the nursery in this chapter yet it seems the story is telling me he's only just arrived. Rest assured the other chapter is well on it's way to being written and that this chapter would have been posted sooner if I had not worked a double! Enjoy and as always, review?? *puppy eyes*


	5. Harper meets Peter

Chapter 5: Harper meets Peter

_The name stood out in bolder letters than any of the other words, and as Mrs. Darling gazed she felt that it had an oddly cocky appearance._

_From Peter Pan_

            Harper had never been more entranced in her life. She had heard more stories about fairies and pirates, redskins and lost boys than she had in awhile. Jane had the perfect storyteller's voice. A trait she inherited from her mother no doubt. And even though she was on in her years, her voice was still strong and passionate when it came to tales of Peter Pan.

            No one was around to see the merriment within the room- No one that is, except a lone boy who floated outside the window. He didn't recognize the girl who sat on Wendy's bed. Nor did he like the fact Jane was way into being grown-up. These reasons stayed his hands where they rested about to open the door. He thought it better to observe for a minute. Though it wasn't like him, Peter Pan wanted to make sure that this was to be his mother. She would have to tell a story. 

            Jane stopped after a story involving birds and lost boys. Harper sat up straighter and waited for another story to come. Jane shook her head sadly "that's all I remember for now. Give me time, child, and I will think of more. For now, why don't you tell me one of Slightly's stories?" 

            "Well you've probably heard this one already but it's my favorite one. Now, Peter had just returned to the Neverland with Wendy and her brothers in tow. Now they had been discovered while spying on the fearsome pirate Captain Hook!" Harper jumped up and made a hook of her index finger. "He had fired Long Tom at John, Michael, Wendy, and of course Peter Pan." Peter smiled at the mention of himself. "Wendy had been blown away and was flying all over Neverland looking for her brothers and Peter. Meanwhile, Slightly and the other lost boys were hunting for Peter. Slightly, who was in charge when Peter was absent was using his power to the fullest. He carried the telescope while Tootles carried him. At least for a little while that is…" Harper continued the story acting out as much as she could. She was interrupted near the end when Jane's phone rang.  

            Jane hurried to answer it. Harper took the minutes while she was out to explore the nursery again; stopping at the window to make sure it was unlocked before moving on to look at John and Michael's beds. Jane walked back in. "I'm sorry child, but you must return to your grandfather's house. Your mother is worried." Harper nodded and replaced Slightly's hat where it had been. She kissed Jane's cheek on her way out.

            "Thank you for sharing this with me" Harper said as she hugged Jane before skipping down the stairs and out of the house. She danced in the moonlight, not noticing the shadow that followed her to her grandfather's house.

            "Where have you been?" her mother demanded as Harper walked in. 

            "I was visiting one of grandfather's friends mother. She is awfully lonely and did need a visit." Harper responded, pulling at her mother's sense of moral obligation to those less fortunate.

            "You shouldn't have stayed so late. I got worried. It's already time for bed. I'll show you where your bedroom is." Her mother ran a hand down the side of her face before turning and leading her up the staircase to the room at the far end of the hall. They paused outside the door and her mom turned to her "Now I know you're used to sharing a room with your brothers on trip, but Harper, you're way too old for that. It's time you start going to bed on time and…well, it isn't right for you to share a room with your brothers. Grown-ups have their own rooms. This room is much more fitting for a young lady." Harper nodded and kissed her mother goodnight then walked inside. Once the door was shut she heaved out a breath… Growing up? Not sharing a room? She huffed out another breath and looked around her room. It was sparsely furnished but what little that was in it was very fancy. Way too fancy in fact. There were ruffles and lace and …pink everywhere. She stuck her tongue out to the general concept of ruffles and her mother's idea of "growing up" and walked to the window. She opened it and stuck her head out. Technically there was enough room for her to step out onto the small window balcony, but it was a little cold out. She looked out straight above the rooftops and imagined herself flying, flipping, and flitting all the way to Neverland. She didn't notice the head that peeked out from the roof above her.

            She sighed and turned from the window. "There isn't a Neverland. I was foolish to believe…" Harper muttered, the joys of the day suddenly flushed from her system. She turned to her suitcase and flung it on the bed.

            "There is so a Neverland" an indignant voice spoke from her window. Harper whirled around to find herself looking into a similarly indignant face. It was a young boy, garbed in leaves. His face, though older than a boy of twelve and younger than a man of twenty, held an air of youth. His eyes danced as if he held multiple stars captive and they were fighting to be free. His hair was tousled such that it was questionable whether it was windswept or bed-head. "I've lived there all my life."

            "What's your name, boy?" Harper asked suspiciously. He looked familiar as if she had known him in a dream before.

            "I'm Peter. Peter Pan." The boy asked bowing before her. She smiled. The Peter Pan was in her room. It was a dream come true.

            "I'm Harper. Slightly's great-granddaughter." Peter seemed to think for a minute before the name rang a bell in his youthful mind. 

            "How is Slightly? Is he here?" Peter asked starting for the door. Harper caught him with a hand on his shoulder. She hardly noticed she was holding down a boy who was floating an inch above the floor. 

            "Slightly... he's gone away Peter. You probably won't see him again." Harper looked down at the ground, suddenly mourning the death of a relative she had never known. Peter however accepted the words at face value and said something about Slightly having a great adventure. 

"So there really is a Neverland?" Harper asked after a short pause, her eyes looking up into Peter's. He nodded smiling. Harper mentally debated with herself for a minute before giving Peter a sly smile.

            "Oh, yeah? Prove it!" Harper challenged grabbing her suitcase. Peter looked shocked for a minute before grabbing a pouch from his waist. He came down until his feet touched the ground and blew a palm full of dust at her. She expected it to tickle her nose and make her sneeze but instead it lightly caressed her face and neck and settled into her hair. He floated behind her and whispered in her ear "Now think happy thoughts, and the joy will lift you from the ground." Harper closed her eyes and imagined Neverland as it was in Jane and Slightly's stories. She thought of the mermaids and the pirates and of Peter Pan. She felt two strong hands take hers and she opened her eyes. She found herself staring into Peter's eyes. He smiled and cast his eyes downwards before looking back up at her. She looked down and let out a shocked laugh.

            "I'm flying" she whispered then looked back up at Peter "I'm flying!" she laughed and spun away from eter, doing a quick flipping loop around the roof of the room. She tried to land and get her suitcase but overestimated the floor and landed on her rump. "Whoops, gotta work on landing" she giggled. She grabbed her suitcase and pushed off into the air to stop next to Peter. "Lead the way" she said. He took the suitcase from her and flew out of the window. Harper followed him willingly into a future of adventures and fun.

Author's note: Okay, this is the edited version… Much better than the crap I posted earlier. I think I'm mostly out of this mood funk ive been in. Happy is the day.


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